Bromelain is a protein digesting enzyme

Bromelain is a digestive enzyme found in pineapples. I found out it helps and speeds up the digestion of protein.

With all of the high protein bodybuilding diets, it seems like this could be helpful to help your body break it all down. Especially if you're just starting and you're having problems with all of the new amounts of protein you're getting.

Since it supposedly speeds up the process, pineapples would be a pretty good ingredient to post workout nutrition, because everyones always talking about digesting protein as fast as possible after a workout. Whey mixed with pinneaples seems like it would work pretty good. Pluss the carbohydrates in the sugar will help you get your energy back and your muscles to repair faster.

I just thought this was interesting. I think bromelain is in other fruits. I'm going to start getting it into my diet, but I haven't done it a lot before so I can't say I've gotten results, yet. I was just sharing that for people who might not know and would be interested in trying it out as well.

You should also be aware that papaya contains an enzyme called papain. Both bromelain and papain help to digest proteins. Also, both of these enzymes are anti-inflammatory which helps to repair muscles.

Kiwi contains an enzyme called protease. This one helps to break down amino acids.

Mangos contain an enzyme called lactase, which is a general digestive aid.

Bananas and clover honey contain an enzyme called amylase. This enzyme assists in converting carbohydrate into glucose.

All of these enzymes are found most prominently in whole, raw food. Frozen fruit and canned fruit may contain some of these enzymes but it isn't nearly in the quantity that the raw fresh fruit contains. Every week I go through 3 whole mangos, 7 bananas, a whole pineapple, a whole papaya, and 5 kiwis.

Like I said I just recently stumbled
on this. I was searching the Internet for digestion health foods, because I've recently switched to a high protein diet and my body isn't really used to it, and I came across pineapples then read more and found out about it's protein digesting capabilities so I thought I would share it with bodybuilding people here and they could look into it more if they wanted to. a lot of things I've read on it suggest in helps in athletics in general like these boxers tooke bromelain and their bruises healed faster than the other group who didn't in one study. It seems to help with things like muscles soreness and things like that maybe not necessarily making your muscles bigger but helps them get bigger

You should also be aware that papaya contains an enzyme called papain. Both bromelain and papain help to digest proteins. Also, both of these enzymes are anti-inflammatory which helps to repair muscles.

Kiwi contains an enzyme called protease. This one helps to break down amino acids.

Mangos contain an enzyme called lactase, which is a general digestive aid.

Bananas and clover honey contain an enzyme called amylase. This enzyme assists in converting carbohydrate into glucose.

All of these enzymes are found most prominently in whole, raw food. Frozen fruit and canned fruit may contain some of these enzymes but it isn't nearly in the quantity that the raw fresh fruit contains. Every week I go through 3 whole mangos, 7 bananas, a whole pineapple, a whole papaya, and 5 kiwis.

Alright so here's something I hear back and forth. Living in MN, I would assume frozen > fresh since transport time for fresh food would be more "destructive" to enzymes compared to a flash freeze. Yes/No?

Alright so here's something I hear back and forth. Living in MN, I would assume frozen > fresh since transport time for fresh food would be more "destructive" to enzymes compared to a flash freeze. Yes/No?

No. For things such as vitamins and minerals, flash freezing is going to be better. I have seen plenty of stuff saying that frozen broccoli, for example, retains more of its vitamin C for a longer time when it gets immediately frozen. But, when we are talking about enzymes, these basically need to be kept "alive" in the food. Any sort of canning or freezing destroys many of these live enzymes, to my knowledge.

Bromelain is a digestive enzyme found in pineapples. I found out it helps and speeds up the digestion of protein.

The bioavailability of the vast majority of ingested enzymes is negligible.

Originally Posted by Dylanscm

With all of the high protein bodybuilding diets, it seems like this could be helpful to help your body break it all down. Especially if you're just starting and you're having problems with all of the new amounts of protein you're getting.

I can assure you that your body (specifically, the stomach and intestine) is fully capable of breaking down protein, with or without bromelain.

Originally Posted by Dylanscm

Since it supposedly speeds up the process, pineapples would be a pretty good ingredient to post workout nutrition, because everyones always talking about digesting protein as fast as possible after a workout. Whey mixed with pinneaples seems like it would work pretty good. Pluss the carbohydrates in the sugar will help you get your energy back and your muscles to repair faster.

Even if the optimal function of bromelain is at an extremely low pH (as would be found in the stomach), I would not necessarily contend that the rate of digestion of protein would markedly increase; there are numerous enzymes, specific to the stomach, that facilitate protein digestion.

That said, unless you're training fasted to complete glycogen depletion (continuous endurance training over an extended period of hours), "fast-digesting" protein is not necessary.

Originally Posted by TBU720

You should also be aware that papaya contains an enzyme called papain. Both bromelain and papain help to digest proteins. Also, both of these enzymes are anti-inflammatory which helps to repair muscles.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have not studied papain or bromelain, specifically.

Do you have any scientific literature that I could read? I'm not particularly well-versed in these two enzymes.

Originally Posted by TBU720

Kiwi contains an enzyme called protease. This one helps to break down amino acids.

Proteases are a class of enzymes that digest proteins. There is considerable variation amongst them, with regards to their functions.

Originally Posted by TBU720

All of these enzymes are found most prominently in whole, raw food. Frozen fruit and canned fruit may contain some of these enzymes but it isn't nearly in the quantity that the raw fresh fruit contains. Every week I go through 3 whole mangos, 7 bananas, a whole pineapple, a whole papaya, and 5 kiwis.

Franco Columbu also encourages eating pineapple for the same reason. As bodybuilders, we eat a lot of protein, but that doesn't mean our body can utilize all the extra protein we eat. I think it's a good idea. And hell, if Franco Columbu says it, it must be true! lol

I knew a man once who said, "Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back."

Franco Columbu also encourages eating pineapple for the same reason. As bodybuilders, we eat a lot of protein, but that doesn't mean our body can utilize all the extra protein we eat. I think it's a good idea. And hell, if Franco Columbu says it, it must be true! lol

I would like to see some references on the ability of pineapple to aid in the digestion of meat/protein. The optimal pH range for bromelain (the enzyme in pineapple that can assist in digesting meat) is 5.5-8.0 for enzymatic activities and the activity is short lived at a pH of 2. It is known to be stable within pH ranges of 3-9. The pH of the stomach is typically between 1-3 and tends to be more acidic during digestion of meals. Our body temperature is around 37 degrees Celsius and the optimal temperature range for bromelain to aid in digestion is 45-65°C. All of this suggests to me that it may not be that effective in helping normal, young, healthy people digest meat. In theory when someone gets older and they no longer produce as acidic stomach juices then maybe it will have some effect.

You can purchase bromelain in tablet form as a supplement. However, the tablets are coated so they are protected from the harsh environment of the stomach and are timed to be released in the small intestines where they can be most effective.

I would be interested to see any research you have suggesting that pineapple assists in digesting meat/protein. As I understand it most of the bromelain is contained in the core and stem of the fruit/pineapple.

RAW enzymes

I have been using bromelain along with other digestive enzymes in a capsule form and been having great results. I use RAW because it has whole foods and I wouldnt be able to match the amount of enzymes I get from RAW with fresh fruit. I like the Ph argument from Dylanscm and how your stomach does not allow an optimum environment for bromelain digestion.